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Food Guide Pyramid




Source of Recipe


usda.gov. pyramid.


Recipe Introduction


The Food Guide Pyramid, a widely recognized nutrition education tool, translates nutritional recommendations into the kinds and amounts of food to eat each day. The Pyramid is being revised by USDA.


Recipe Link: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyramid.html

List of Ingredients




Bread, Cereal,
Rice, & Pasta
Group
6-11
SERVINGS
Fruit
Group
2-4 SERVINGS
Meat, Poultry, Fish,
Dry Beans, Eggs,
& Nuts Group
2-3 SERVINGS
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, August 1992
Vegetable
Group
3-5 SERVINGS
Milk, Yogurt,
& Cheese
Group
2-3 SERVINGS
Food Guide Pyramid
A Guide to Daily Food Choices
Fat (naturally occurring
and added)
Sugars
(added)
These symbols show fat and
added sugars in foods.
KEY Fats, Oils, & Sweets
USE SPARINGLY
Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help you eat better
every day...the Dietary Guidelines way. Start with
plenty of Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta;
Vegetables; and Fruits. Add two to three servings
from the Milk group and two to three servings from
the Meat group.
Each of these food groups provides some, but not
all, of the nutrients you need. No one food group is
more important than another—for good health you
need them all. Go easy on fats, oils, and sweets,
the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid.

--------------------------------------------------------


Four or more a day good news for Fruit & Vegitables


A recent survey carried out by the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health found that Irish people are eating more Fruit and Vegetables than they did five years ago. However, our intake of these healthy foods is still below the recommended Four or More portions a day. The survey found that on average three portions of Fruit and Vegetables are eaten daily. On behalf of the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health, Lansdowne Market Research surveyed a nationally representative sample of almost 1400 people aged 15+ from a wide range of social backgrounds.

The survey concluded that:
the average number of portions of Fruit and Vegetables, including fruit juice, eaten on a normal day is three
92% of those surveyed say they eat at least one portion of vegetables a day
53% of the adults surveyed do not eat the recommended Four or More a day of Fruit/Fruit Juice and Vegetables
while appreciation of the health and nutritional benefits of Fruit and Vegetables is recognised, only 3 in 10 adults believe you should eat four or more portions per day
1 in every 4 adults does not eat fruit (or drink fruit juice) daily
less than 1 in every 10 adults does not eat vegetables daily
4% of those surveyed do not eat either Fruit or Vegetables or drink fruit juice on a daily basis
6 in every 10 adults do not drink fruit juice daily
the main reason given by those who do not eat Fruit and Vegetables is that they don't like them
only 4% of those surveyed do not like Fruit or Vegetables
41% of those who do not like eating fruit say they prefer to eat sweet or savoury snacks
only 12% of those who don't eat vegetables on a daily basis say cost is the reason
only 10% of those who don't eat fruit on a daily basis say cost is the reason
1 in 2 adults believe Fruit and Vegetables are expensive although this isn't a major reason for not eating them
1 in 5 adults believe vegetables are trouble to prepare
1 in 2 adults believe that frozen vegetables and fruit are not as nutritious as fresh - which of course is not true.




Ten Ways To Enjoy More Fruit and Vegetables

Make sure Fruit and Vegetables are always at the top of your shopping list and choose lots of different kinds.
For a good start to the day have a half glass of fruit juice every morning. Choose orange juice often.
Add chopped fruit to your breakfast cereal-try banana, apple or dried fruit. A real munch and crunch feast!
Add mashed banana to bread, toast or scones as a regular between-meal treat.
Have at least one salad vegetable in your sandwich. Try tomato, lettuce, cucumber or any raw vegetable that you like.
Home-made soup is a quick and easy way to pack in those vegetables. Frozen vegetables can be used and are just as good as fresh.
Always try to have one, and sometimes two vegetables-in addition to potatoes-with your dinner. LAdd extra crunch to stews, casseroles and stir-frys by including lots of vegetables.
Finish off lunch and dinner with a piece of fruit. Delicious either raw, cooked or tinned in its own juice.
Raw vegetables are great tasty treats! Prepare a box full and leave it in the fridge for all the family to nibble on!
Remember, vitamin supplements do not give you the same health benefits as 4 or more portions of Fruit and Vegetables a day.


One of the best things you can do to improve your health is to eat more fruit & vegetables
Fruit and Vegetables are packed tull ot goodness:
high in fibre;
rich in Vitamins A, C and E;
rich in folic acid (B vitamin);
low in calories;
and virtually fat-free.

Eating more helps you be a healthy weight and may help protect against heart disease and some cancers.
Try to eat 4 or more portions ot Fruit and Vegetables each day.

One portion is
Half glass of fruit juice or
2 tablespoons of cooked vegetables or salad or
small bowl of homemade vegetable soup Qr
1 medium sized fresh fruit or
2 tablespoons of cooked or tinned fruit (preferably in own juice).


Food Pyramid balances foods


The Food Pyramid balances foods in the amounts needed to make sure that you get all of the energy and vitality you need. You can see at a glance that most of your food should come from the bread, cereals and potato shelf and from the Fruit and Vegetables shelf with a smaller, but important contribution from milk, cheese and yogurt and from meat, fish and alternatives. Fats, biscuits, cakes, confectionery and high fat snack foods can be enjoyed as part of a healthy eating plan, but in limited amounts. - Choosing foods from each shelf of the Food Pyramid in the amounts suggested on pages 8 and 9 will provide you with the balance of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals you need each day. The more active you are, the higher your energy needs will be. Extra energy should come from the bread, cereals and potatoes shelf and from the Fruit and Vegetables shelf

Keep in mind that foods which contain similar nourishment are grouped together and can be interchanged. This allows you flexibility in the food you choose from each shelf and provides the variety you need for good health. So, for example, if you have a child who is not a great vegetable eater, don't worry, try raw vegetable' and offer them more fruit instead - plenty of
variety is the key to getting the balance right. Remember, there are no good or bad foods, it's how you combine food' each day that is important for getting the balance right.

All foods can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle, if they are eaten in reasonable amount in a varied eating plan.
-Healthy Eating


Recipe




Choose a Diet with Plenty of Vegetables, Fruits, and Grain Products
This guideline recommends that adults eat at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits daily. It recommends at least six servings of grain products, such as breads, cereals, pasta, and rice, with an emphasis on whole grains.(What to count as a serving...) Children should also be encouraged to eat plenty of these foods.

Vegetables, fruits, and grain products are important parts of the varied diet discussed in the first guideline. They are emphasized in this guideline especially for their complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and other food components linked to good health.

These foods are generally low in fats. By choosing the suggested amounts of them, you are likely to increase carbohydrates and decrease fats in your diet, as health authorities suggest. You will also get more dietary fiber.

Complex carbohydrates, such as starches, are in breads, cereals, pasta, rice, dry beans and peas, and other vegetables, such as potatoes and corn. Dietary fiber -- a part of plant foods -- is in whole-grain breads and cereals, dry beans and peas, vegetables, and fruits. It is best to eat a variety of these fiber-rich foods because they differ in the kinds of fiber they contain.

Eating foods with fiber is important for proper bowel function and can reduce symptoms of chronic constipation, diverticular disease, and hemorrhoids. Populations like ours with diets low in dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates and high in fat, especially saturated fat, tend to have more heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Just how dietary fiber is involved is not yet clear.

Some of the benefit from a higher fiber diet may be from the food that provides the fiber, not from fiber alone. For this reason, it's best to get fiber from foods rather than from supplements. In addition, excessive use of fiber supplements is associated with greater risk for intestinal problems and lower absorption of some minerals,

Advice for today: Eat more vegetables, including dry beans and peas; fruits; and breads, cereals, pasta, and rice. Increase your fiber intake by eating more of a variety of foods that contain fiber naturally.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR A DIET WITH PLENTY OF VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND GRAIN PRODUCTS, HAVE DAILY --
Three or more servings of various vegetables. (Count as a serving: 1 cup of raw leafy greens, 1/2 cup of other kinds)

Have dark-green leafy and deep-yellow vegetables often.
Eat dry beans and peas often. (Count 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or peas as a serving of vegetables or as 1 ounce of the meat group.)
Also eat starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn.
Two or more servings of various fruits. (Count as a serving: 1 medium apple, orange, or banana; 1/2 cup of small or diced fruit; 3/4 cup of juice)
Have citrus fruits or juices, melons, or berries regularly.
Choose fruits as desserts and fruit juices as beverages.
Six or more servings of grain products (breads, cereals, pasta, and rice) (Count as a serving: 1 slice of bread; 1/2 bun, bagel, or english muffin; 1 ounce of dry ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta)
Eat products from a variety of grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, and corn.
Have several servings of whole-grain breads and cereals daily.
Vegetables, fruits, and grain products are generally low in calories if fats and sugars are used sparingly in their preparation and at the table.




Action List for Fruits and Vegetables

Did you know there are at least four great reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables?

It is easy to do.

Almost all are low in calories and fat.

They are a good source of vitamins and minerals and provide fiber.

They may hekp reduce cancer risk.

Here are some actions to get you started and keep you going. Try two or three actions now and try more later.

Buy many kinds of fruits and vegetables when you shop, so you have plenty of choices, and you don't run out. Buy frozen, dried, and canned as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

First, use the fruits and vegetables that go bad easily (peaches, asparagus). Save hardier varieties (apples, acorn squash) or frozen and canned types for later in the week.

Use the salad bar to buy cut-up fruits/vegetables if you're in a hurry.

Keep a fruit bowl, small packs of applesauce, raisins or other dried fruit on the kitchen counter, table, or in the office.


Pack a piece of fruit or some cut-up vegetables in your briefcase or backpack; carry moist towlettes for easy cleanup.

Keep a bowl of cut-up vegetables on the top shelf of the refrigerator.


Add fruit to breakfast by drinking 6 oz of 100 percent fruit juice or by having fruit on cereal.


Add fruits and vegetables to lunch by having them in soup, salad, or cut-up raw.


Add fruits and vegetables to dinner by microwaving or steaming vegetables and having a special fruit desert.


Increase portions when you serve vegetables and fruits. Season them the low-fat way with herbs, spices, and lemon juice. If sauce is used, choose a nonfat or low-fat sauce.


Choose fruit for dessert. For a special dessert, try a fruit parfait with low-fat yogurt or sherbet topped with berries.


Add extra varieties of vegetables when you prepare soups, sauces, and casseroles (for example, grate carrot and zucchini into spaghetti sauce.


These ideas and tips should get you started and keep you going with beans:


Once a week or more, try a low-fat meatless meal or main dish that features beans (tacos or burritos stuffed with pinto beans; chili with kidney beans; black beans over rice).


Try kidney beans or black-eyed peas. It's a fast and easy way to use beans and peas without cooking them from scratch.


Use beans as a dip for vegetables or filling for sandwiches.


Serve soup made from beans or peas - minestrone, split-pea, black bean, or lentil (once a week or more).


Try black-eyed peas or black beans as a vegetable side dish with meat or fish.


Add beans to salads. Many salad bars feature kidney beans, three-bean salad, or chick peas (garbanzo beans).